


A Slice of That Apple Pie Life

by Daydream_to_nightmare



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Adopted Children, Castiel and Dean raise a child, Dean Raises a Daughter, Domestic, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Original Character(s), Uncle Sam Winchester, Winchester Family (Supernatural) Fluff, family au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-09-07 18:44:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20314243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daydream_to_nightmare/pseuds/Daydream_to_nightmare
Summary: Dean and Sam go on a hunt and find a small girl clutching the body of her dead mother. She's scared and sick, and of course, Dean gets the bright idea to adopt her. With Cas' help, he and the Winchesters raise a daughter, and Dean and Cas' relationship grows stronger. Dean finally gets a taste of that apple pie life.





	1. Hunts, Werewolves, and New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I got this idea from a short story @bestGuesses and I wrote together a while ago. This chapter is mainly exposition, so enjoy!  


“So you dragged me out to Philadelphia for a hunt in which we have no idea what the hell we’re fighting?” Dean leaned against the Impala’s seat with a sigh. It was Sam’s turn to drive, which Dean was not the happiest about. They had been driving for hours, but they were almost to their destination, so he couldn’t complain, right? After what felt like forever, Sam pulled into the hotel parking lot.

“We’re here, so quit your bitching,” Sam got out of the car and grabbed his bag from the backseat. Dean followed suit and immediately hit the shower when he arrived in the room. Meanwhile, Sam continued to research the case. He figured they were dealing with ghosts, but ghosts didn’t usually make that much of a presence. They had gotten wind of strange noises coming out of the abandoned house, and cloaked figures entering and exiting it. He figured it was their kind of thing, so he told Dean and they headed out. The next morning, the brothers jumped into the impala and headed towards the scene- an old, abandoned house that was supposedly haunted. Sam had low expectations, but it was worth checking out anyway.

When they arrived at the location, Sam noticed there was something missing. It wasn't as cold as it would be if there was a ghost, there no sulfur smell indicating demons… had Sam been mistaken? They walked inside, careful not to step on rotten floorboards (which there seemed to be an abundance of). The house was dingy, with peeling wallpaper covering musty walls, piles of clothes strung everywhere, and beer bottles entangled in them. They noticed the smell of decaying bodies wafting through the house. Whatever was going on was ending in corpses. As they turned the corner to head up the stairs, Dean heard a frantic crying.

“Sammy, do you hear that? Sounds like a baby crying.”

“It’s probably just a ghost or something,” Sam answered.

“I dunno, Sammy.”

It felt too real. They climbed the rickety stairs to the next floor of the building. As they walked, the crying got louder.

“Still think it’s a ghost, Sam?”

“Can it, Dean.”

Dean and Sam decided to split up and cover the rooms upstairs. The crying just wouldn’t seem to stop. Dean decided he was going to get to the bottom of the sound, even if it killed him. He followed the sobbing into one of the forgotten bedrooms and cringed as the noise became almost deafening. In the corner of the room, he saw a small figure sitting with its face against the wall, almost as if it was slumped over. The creature turned around upon hearing Dean’s footsteps and revealed itself to be a small girl. She was clutching the corpse of a woman torn to shreds, who Dean could only assume was her mother. She couldn’t be any older than two years old, and already saw the death of her mother.

_Werewolves_, Dean assumed. _Holy shit._

“SAMMY!” Dean called down the hall. Sam came rushing in and saw the child, his eyes wide.

“Holy shit-”

“We can’t just leave her here. Did you see any werewolves around?”

Sam shook his head, “Nada.”

“Okay, I’ll approach her slowly, she doesn’t look good,” Dean approached the tiny child slowly, “Hey baby girl, it’s okay.” Dean scooped her up and she practically collapsed in his arms.

“Shit! Sam, start the car, we gotta get her to the hospital, she’s feverish,” Dean held her close.

“But what if she’s a demon or somethin-”

“I don’t care right now! She’s a kid! She needs help!”

Sam nodded, "Okay, I’ll get the car ready.”

He scurried off as Dean carried the little girl. He checked her pulse and was happy to feel that she had one. He then pulled out his phone and called Cas.

“Hello, Dean.”

“Cas? Hey, uh we found a child on the hunt and we’re taking her to the hospital.”

“Okay, I’ll meet you there,” He hung up.

The little girl was whimpering, and she _really_ didn’t feel good. Dean stroked her back and her long, blonde hair to try and comfort her. He didn’t like how warm she was.

“Hey princess, you’re okay. Do you have a name?” He asked her. She stared at him blankly, clearly not old enough to understand what a name was. Dean sighed when he realized just how bad of shape she was in. He searched her tiny body for any sign of cuts or scrapes and found nothing. He sat her on his lap so she was facing him as he gently wiped her tears, “You’ll be okay soon, babe.” He began to run his fingers through her hair, trying to get the tangles out.

“How’s she doing?” Sam asked, looking over.

“She’s warm, feverish. Didn’t see any cuts or bites or scrapes or anything. Still crying, but she’s calming down. I’m worried about her, Sammy, she’s so small.”

“The hospital will help. Was that her mother she was laying with?”

Dean nodded sadly, “Probably. Poor kid watched her mom get torn to shreds. Werewolves, I think.” Dean was stroking the girl's back, “She’s been through hell and she looks like she's hardly even two.” Dean sighed as he remembered his own mother’s death. He had hardly been older than her.

He knew he had to help the kid, he couldn’t just leave her alone like that.

She was helpless.

In the short span of time he'd been around her, he had grown an attachment to the child. He wasn't sure why, maybe because she reminded him of himself, or because she was helpless, or maybe he was just hoping he’d be able to have a family. He knew it was wishful thinking, but he couldn’t help but hope to take her in and call her his daughter. He wished he had a toy or something for her to play with, or anything to cheer her up. Upon a quick look around the back seat, all he could find were beer bottles and fast-food wrappers, which clearly he couldn’t give to her. He considered buying her a stuffed animal or some other toy once they got to the hospital. Dean snapped out of his thoughts when he felt something grab his nose. He looked and saw the girl grabbing his nose and giggling. A small smile tugged on the corners of his mouth,

“That’s my nose baby.” He began tickling her, indulging in her laugh. Sam looked over and smiled,

"You’re good with her,” He said softly.

“Nah. She’ll probably end up in foster care and find a nice good family with a house and money to take care of her,” Dean almost sounded like he cared.

“Jesus Dean, I didn’t say anything about keeping her, I just said you were good with kids.”

“I know, but…” He stroked her hair and she settled on his lap, “You’re right, we don’t get to have that apple pie life everyone wants to have so badly.”

There was a sadness in Dean’s voice that broke Sam’s heart.

After a few more minutes of driving, they pulled into the hospital parking lot and Dean hopped out.

“Dean-” Sam began as Dean closed the door and began to walk to the hospital entrance. Sam sighed, knowing fair well that his brother longed for a family of his own. He also knew that they would never be able to have one.

That was the Winchester curse, after all.

Dean walked over to the counter, holding the girl to his chest, “My brother and I found her in a barn near our house,” Dean lied, “She’s feverish and scared. No sign of the mother," he explained to the front desk. The small girl had started coughing as Dean brought her inside, which worried him even more. Cas appeared next to Sam at that moment. Dean and the nurse continued talking for a moment, Cas and Sam spectating silently.

They watched as Dean handed the small girl off to the hospital staff.

They watched Dean sigh as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets, ducking his head as he watched her disappear into one of the back rooms.

They watched as soft tears fell from his eyes as he shuffled over to them.

“She’s safe now, we’re free to go.”


	2. Smiles for Miles

“You’re just leaving? After all of this?”

Sam had stopped his brother from walking past him and back to the car.

“She deserves better than me ‘s all.”

"Dean,” Cas started, “Can we speak alone?” Dean nodded and followed Cas to a seat in the corner of the waiting room and sat down beside him. Cas took Dean’s hand and held it,

“What’s really wrong Dean?” Dean sighed.

“I don’t want to end up like dad, never being around for my kids, loving a bottle more than them,” Dean looked at the grey carpet that lined the floor of the hospital waiting room.

Cas placed a gentle, yet firm hand on Dean’s back, “Dean, you will never be like him. You are better than that. If you want to adopt her, I’d say go for it. She needs someone who understands what it’s like to lose a mother to the supernatural.”

He nodded, “Okay, but what about us being hunters? That’s no lifestyle to raise a kid in.”

“Maybe, but neither is an abusive household, and children endure that.”

“Yeah but…”

“You could always retire Dean.”

Dean looked his shoes again, strong burly boots, weathered with age, much like the person wearing them. The hunting life was like an addiction, once you start, you can’t stop. Dean had the urge to keep hunting, even when he was dating women for long periods of time, he never considered fully giving up the life. He always went back. Perhaps it was comforting in a twisted way, something he had always known. Perhaps he never had a reason to give up the life before. Until now.

“I still don’t know Cas…”

Cas pulled Dean in close, "I love you Dean, and I know she'll love you too." Dean smiled and kissed his boyfriend softly, "Okay, I'll go talk to them."

"Want me to come with you?"

"Okay."

Cas and Dean went and spoke to the social worker. He explained that he would like to adopt her, and that his main address was in Kansas. They were told that they would have to wait and see if she had a father available, and if not, he would be the first to be able to adopt her. Dean thanked the social worker before he and Cas met back up with Sam.

"So?" Sam asked.

"They're going to see if there's a father if the picture and if not, I get to adopt her," Dean explained.

"Ah, so we have to stay here for a bit?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

"That's fine with me. We gotta kill the werewolves anyway," Sam replied.

"We should do that soon. We have time to kill," Dean said, "Just gotta be careful."

Sam nodded and went out to the Impala while Dean and Cas hung around a bit, "I wonder if they'll let me see her."

"Doesn't hurt to ask, Dean."

Dean nodded and headed to the front desk, "Hi, can I see the baby I brought in here?"

"Yes of course. She has pneumonia so we had to treat that. She's very sleepy, but as long as you're quiet, you can see her."

Dean was given permission to see her, but Cas had to stay out. That didn't bother either of them much, as Cas wouldn't know what to say around a child anyway. Dean walked in the room and saw the tiny baby lying there, looking so small and helpless against the massive bed they had her in. He walked over and held her hand,

"Hey princess, I know you're sick right now, but I got you okay? As soon as the social worker finds out you're an orphan, I'll be able to adopt you." He stroked her hair gently. The hospital had cleaned her up a bit, washed her hair, dressed her in a hospital gown and a clean diaper. Dean was happy to see her looking a little better.

He joined Cas in the waiting room shortly, "Cas I love her already-" he said softly.

Cas smiled, (which he didn't do a lot) "I know you do love. Come on, Sam's in the car."

Cas grabbed Dean's hand and lead him outside.

***

A week passed, Dean and Sam had ganked the werewolves, and had a proper burial for the child's mother. Team Free Will was sitting in their motel room, just drinking and having a nice time, when Dean's phone rang,

"Hello, Dean Winchester? She's ready to be adopted."

Dean sprung up from the chair, as did the others. They drove to the hospital where they were taken to the in-house social worker.

"Okay Mr. Winchester, I just need you to fill out these forms and you're good to go."

Dean began to fill out the forms when he felt the pen being snatched from his hands. He saw Cas writing his own name below the heading that said, "Legal Guardian(s)." Dean looked over and smiled, Cas was willing to become a parent to the child, which was completely unexpected. When he got to the part that said "Child's Name", he didn't even hesitate. He wrote _Dawn Mary Winchester_ down on the paper. He handed the papers to the social worker and she smiled at the name,

"Suits her well."

Ever since Dawn came into his life, he had been working on picking out the perfect name for her. He considered calling her Mary, but decided that felt too old and plain for a wild child like her. He also considered Celeste after Charlie, but decided that would hurt him too much. He had been searching the internet one night for names when he came across Dawn. He knew as soon as he saw it, that it was perfect for her. He hadn't told anyone, not even Cas, who had heard Dean's audible gasp when he found it. His heart skipped a beat when he first wrote down her name on the adoption papers. He wasn't sure if that was from nerves or excitement, but either way, this would be a day he'd never forget.

The social worker went into another room and came back moments later carrying Dawn in her arms. Dean's heart leaped when he saw the blonde's soft pale green dress the social worker had put her in. He smiled when he saw her blonde curls tied up in ponytails. Dawn lit up when she saw Dean. She began to reach for him, making little grunting sounds when she couldn't reach him. The social worker handed Dawn off to Dean, and Dean felt his heart flutter.

"Hey Dawn Winchester, welcome to the family."


	3. Cars, Trees, and Bumblebees

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! sorry this chapter is so late. Work and school have been stressful. Enjoy this chapter!

“We don’t even have a crib for her, where is she going to sleep? She can’t sleep in one of these god-awful hotel beds. Also, we don’t even have a car seat for her.” 

Sam was bitching at his brother again, but then again, what was new? He always seemed to have a problem with whatever Dean did. 

“Okay smartass, we’ll go out and get her stuff. I saw a store not too far from here. Cas, Dawn and I will walk there.” 

Sam seemed satisfied with that answer as he went back to reading. Dawn was laying on one of the gross hotel beds, wiggling around and giggling as Cas was tickling her. She was still in the dress the social worker put her in, as they didn’t have any other clothes for her. As condescending as he may be, Sam was right. They needed baby things, and fast. 

“Cas, let’s get Dawn and head to the store. There’s one not that far from here. She needs clothes and more diapers and shit.” 

“Can I carry her?” Cas asked softly. 

A smile crossed Dean’s face, “Of course.” 

Cas scooped up Dawn and followed Dean outside the fleabag motel to the sidewalk. They walked next to each other, past all the hustle and bustle of the cars that whizzed through the Philadelphia streets. It was very loud, much too loud for the older Winchester to handle.

“Jesus, this place is loud.” 

“Yes, and I think it’s upsetting Dawn.” 

Dawn had her little ears covered as they walked down the street. Dean looked at her sympathetically, as it must have been extra noisy for her tiny ears. She looked like she was going to start crying. It was a good thing they were almost there. As they approached the parking lot of the store, a car blared its horn, which sent Dawn into hysterics. She began crying loudly. 

“Hey, darling it’s okay,” Dean said as he took her from Cas’ arms and held her close. 

She buried her head in Dean’s worn leather jacket. She was calming down as they walked into the store, which was much quieter than the outside. Everyone was happy about that. The store was small, with only two workers present at that time. Dawn was wiggling around in Dean’s arms, trying desperately to release herself from Dean’s grasp and run around the store. He put her down, but held her hand so she couldn’t run off.

“I see some baby clothes over there,” Cas pointed to a rack of clothes towards the back of the store. 

“Great, why don’t you check those out while I get Miss Princess here a toy or something?” 

“Are you sure you want me to pick them out? I don’t want to not do it right-” Cas was stopped by Dean planting a kiss on his cheek, “I trust you babe, she’s your kid too.” 

Cas smiled softly as he held his fingers to the spot where Dean kissed him, “Okay, I’ll go look.” 

Dean saw Cas blushing, which made his heart melt. Cas was like a block of ice, cold at first, but always melted away with a little bit of warmth. Dawn was pulling Dean in the direction of the toys, having spotted a Pikachu plushie that she had her eye on. She pointed at it and made a little noise that indicated she wanted it. Dean put it in the basket he was holding. He didn’t care that he wasn’t supposed to spoil children, his kid was going to be spoiled rotten. He ended up finding a car seat that was perfect for her, but he wasn’t a fan of the $60 price tag that donned it. He sighed as the realization that kids are expensive hit him like a train. 

Meanwhile, Cas was searching through the baby clothes with hesitation. He had no idea what he was doing. One of the employees of the store saw his ‘deer in the headlights' look and walked over,

“Is there anything I can help you with?” 

Cas nodded profusely, “I have no idea what I’m doing. My boyfriend and I adopted a little one and a half year old girl, and I have no idea what to dress her in.” 

The worker chuckled, “Well you’re in the wrong section, follow me.” 

She lead him to a rack with toddler clothes, “There you go, you should be on the right track now. If you need anything, I’ll be at checkout.” 

Cas searched through the rack until he the perfect onesie for Dawn, a bumblebee onesie. Cas smiled widely and held it close to his chest, claiming it. He found a few other outfits for her, (including a flannel t-shirt which he knew Dean would adore) before meeting up with his boyfriend and daughter.

“Oh hell yeah, a flannel!” Dean held up the shirt with a smile. Dawn was holding on to the Pikachu plushie (which was just slightly smaller than her) and she was getting really fussy, 

“We should buy the items and go. I can teleport us back so Dawn can nap,” Cas suggested as he saw the child doze off. 

Dean nodded and paid for the items before stepping outside so Cas could teleport them to the motel. They still had to get a crib for her, but they figured that Dean and Cas could go to Target without Dawn crying or becoming fussy. Dean placed her on the bed and tossed a soft pink baby blanket with bunnies on it before placing the Pikachu plushie in her arms. Sam agreed to watch her while the fathers went out, knowing that this would be the first of many times he’d be asked to babysit while they went out. 

Cas and Dean returned from Target with a crib and loads of other items, including a stroller and high chair. Dawn was awake and babbling at Sam when the fathers returned home. She lit up as she ran to Dean and hugged his leg as he scooped her up,

"Hey princess, were you good for Sam?" 

She nodded. 

"That's my girl. Now go play with dad okay?" Dean handed her to Cas so he could set up the crib. Dawn was trying to steal Cas' nose and giggling like crazy. Cas' lips formed into a smile as he began to spin her around. Laughter, both from Dawn and Cas, filled the room. Dean watched them, with a smile on his face. When the crib was done, he placed Dawn in it and tucked her in. 

***

The next morning, the group headed out. Cas teleported the big items like the crib and the stroller home so they wouldn't take up space in the Impala. A still sleepy Dawn was strapped into the car seat with her Pikachu plushie beside her, and a blanket draped over her. Before Cas had left he changed her into the bumblebee onesie he bought her. When Dean saw, he smiled again. Dean was smiling a lot these days, and Sam couldn't be happier about that. He had always wanted the best for his brother, and Dean was finally getting it. Dean put Dawn's diaper bag in the seat next to her as he headed to the driver's seat. Sam hopped into the passenger's seat and they set out. 

When Cas was done, he teleported into the car and sat beside Dawn moving the bag to the floor, 

"She looks beautiful." 

Dean jumped upon hearing Cas' voice, 

"Cas! We talked about this."

"Dawn needed company!" 

Dean didn't make a comment, as he was actually glad Cas was there in case Dawn needed anything. Cas stared out of the window at the cars and trees that passed on by. Cas had always loved nature, and car rides like this were some of his favorites. No matter how much he tried, however, he couldn't focus on the window. He looked over to Dawn who has begun to wake up. 

"Hello bumblebee," Cas started, "How's my girl doing today?" 

She babbled a response before sucking on her fingers. Cas reached into the baby bag and pulled a pacifier out, putting that in her mouth instead. 

Midway through the trip, Dawn began to get  _ really _ fussy. Cas looked over at her and saw that she was beginning to cry. Using his grace, he determined that she was hungry. 

"Dean, Dawn's hungry, we should get some food." 

"Okay, there's a restaurant ahead. I'll get on the exit now." 

Dean did so as Dawn began crying. Cas kissed her cheek, "You're okay Miss Bee, we'll get you some food soon, okay?" 

Dawn stopped crying, almost as if she understood Cas' plea. To this day, Dean still thinks that Cas used a bit of grace on her, but Cas denies it. Dean pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and stopped the Impala. Cas got Dawn out of her car seat and carried her into the restaurant with Dean and Sam following behind. Dean and Sam found a table as Cas and Dawn went to the restroom so Cas could change her. When they returned, Cas noticed a high chair was placed at the edge of the table. He put Dawn in it before taking a seat next to Dean. Dean immediately wrapped an arm around Cas and pulled him close. 

Dean had ordered Dawn mashed potatoes and was feeding her. She was making a mess, getting more potatoes on her bib than in her mouth. Cas watched the humans eat, having nothing more than a cup of coffee. When they were all done, Dean cleaned her up before taking her to the car and placing her back in her car seat. 

***

"We have about three more hours right?" Sam asked a few hours later. 

"Yeah. Dawn is getting fussy again, I think she doesn't like the car very much. God I just want to get her home. I wanna show her our home, our family."

"You really love her, huh?" A smile creeped on Sam's face. 

"Of course," Dean said as he looked at her from the rear view mirror, "She's my baby."


	4. Sick Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am in my third year of college and things are getting busy so I have not been able to update, I hope you enjoy this new part and continue to be patient with me. Love you all.

A full year passed and Dawn was now 2 ½. Since she was a "big girl" now, she had insisted on her dad's giving her a big girl bed, so Dean and Cas went out and got her a toddler bed with bee decals on the frame. 

On this particular morning, she woke up with a 'tummy ache.' She got out of bed and headed to her Fathers' room. Tears were running down her face as she called for her daddy. 

"Daddy?"

Cas lifted his head and untangled himself from Dean, "What's up bumblebee?" 

"Tummy hurts." 

Cas got out of bed and picked up Dawn and placed his hand on her forehead. She was really warm, "Damn," Cas mumbled as he took her to the bathroom. In the event that she threw up, the bathroom would be the easiest to clean. 

Dean woke up shortly after, feeling the absence in the bed beside him, "Caaaassss," Dean complained. He got out of bed to try to find Cas. He ended up finding him in Dawn's room, putting a thermometer in her mouth, 

"Is she sick?" Dean asked as he entered the room. 

Cas nodded as he showed Dean the thermometer, it read  _ 104.1.  _ She also threw up a bit."

"Geez, have you given her any medicine yet?" 

"I was supposed to? I thought fevers went away on their own." 

"I'll get her some."

Dean went to the medicine cabinet and got some liquid fever reducer and poured it into a small cup before bringing it to her.

"Hey baby, you need to take this okay?" 

She took the medicine before leaning back on her pillows. She looked incredibly tired. 

"I know you love her bumblebee PJs, but we should get her into something cooler. Do we have a pair of shorts for her?" Dean looked through the drawers before finding shorts and a t-shirt for her. He got her dressed before placing her back down on the bed. 

"You and Sammy have the hunt today."

"I'm not gonna go." 

"Yes you are Cas, no solo hunts, ever. I'll take care of Dawn. Besides, her and I were watching Scooby Doo anyway, right sunshine?" 

She nodded, "Yeah, Dooby Doo." 

Cas smiled a bit at her mispronunciation, "Okay Miss Bee, I'll be back later. Uncle Sam and I are going out for a little bit."

She nodded as she watched Cas leave. Dean looked at his small child and frowned a bit. He hated that she was sick. He curled up on the loveseat in the corner of the room that had been his bed for many nights throughout the course of Dawn’s life. He threw a blanket over himself as he watched the TV. At one point he looked over at Dawn and saw that she was fast asleep. He sighed as he quickly got up and took her temperature, and was happy to see that it had gone down. Dean smiled and planted a quick kiss to Dawn’s forehead before dozing off on the couch himself. 

***

Cas sat in the impala staring out the window. He worried about Dawn, and leaving Dean alone with a sick child. She had been sick before, but Cas was right by Dean’s side the entire time. This was the first time Dean would be alone with Dawn while she was sick. Cas subconsciously bounced his leg as thoughts coursed through his mind. 

“You good Cas?” 

Cas snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Sam with Sad eyes, “I should have stayed with Dean and helped him take care of Dawn.”

“Cas, he can handle it, he took care of me.” 

  
“Yes, but this is his  _ child. _ ” 

“That’s true. I’m sure she will be fine Cas, she’s a Winchester, it takes a lot to get us down.” 

Cas smiled at that, “Yeah she is. She’s a lucky girl.” 

They arrived at the scene as Sam parked the car. Sam got the fake IDs out of the glove compartment and handed one to Cas, “You ready, Agent Presley?” 

It was  _ supposed  _ to be an easy milk run, but for the Winchesters, it was never that simple. 

Sam felt the teeth sink into his neck before he fell to the floor. 

“SAM!” Cas shouted as he ran over. He decapitated the vampire before finding Sam’s limp body on the ground. He was weak, but conscious, which was a good sign. There were still more vampires, but if Sam didn’t get home soon, he could die, or worse, turn. Cas didn’t want to worry Dean, so he decided  _ not _ to call about what happened. Sam had lost consciousness around an hour into the drive home, and Cas was getting worried. He pulled into the bunker and carried Sam inside, 

“DEAN!” Cas called from the stairs, “DEAN IT’S URGENT!” 

Dean rushed down the stairs and sighed, “I  _ knew _ this was a bad idea. Okay, I’ll take care of Sammy, you can make sure Dawn’s okay when she wakes up.” 

Cas wasn’t thrilled with this development, but his grace had been weak lately, and healing Sam would most likely kill him. Cas went upstairs begrudgingly and sat on the couch in Dawn’s room. 

Meanwhile, Dean was preparing the vampire cure for Sam, who had begun to turn, “Christ… light hurts…” Sam mumbled 

“I know Sammy, I’m making the cure now.” 

“Hungry…” Sam said as his fangs slid down from his gums. 

“No, you are not eating anyone, especially not Dawn!” 

“Why would I take blood from family?” Dean was glad Sam still had some sense. He finished the cure and placed the vial to Sam’s lips. He drank it, and began vomiting moments later. Dean knew this was part of the process, but he still felt really bad that Sam was sick. Cas came downstairs to check on Sam, 

“You gave him the cure?”

“Yeah, great now we have two sick kids.”

“Not a kid,” Sam said weakly. 

“How’s Dawn?” 

“She’s fine, she was asking for you Dean,” Cas answered, “She wants a bedtime story, only for you however,” Cas put his head down a bit, “She likes you more.” 

“She does not!” 

Cas shrugged, “I’ll take Sam, you go read to Dawn.” 

He headed to Dawn's room, where she was hugging her Pikachu, obviously fighting sleep as she waited for her Dad to come in, "Daddy, story."

"I'll only read you a story if you promise to go to sleep." 

"Okay Daddy." 

She snuggled into the bed as Dean picked a book from the bookshelf. He sat down on the edge of the bed and began to read  _ The Cat in the Hat  _ to her. She passed out quickly,the flu obviously sucking the energy out of her.

"Poor thing," Cas said from the doorway. 

"I thought you were watching Sam."

"He's asleep. I see Dawn is too." 

"Good. God we have to promise no more hunts when Dawn is sick."

"You could retire."

Dean sighed heavily, "I can't. Not yet." 

"I know Dean, I know. For now we'll get by." 

"Like always."

"Like always."


End file.
